Cinnamon Cake with Spicy Chocolate Buttercream
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate10
servings30
minutes40
minutesAs a subscriber of Food and Wine for over 20+ years and a fan of the magazine, I have had this recipe in a pile to make for years. Finally I got around to making it and it was a hit! My kids loved it and friends loved it. It worked great as cupcakes with pipped buttercream. The frosting is awesome on chocolate cakes as well. I did use a bit more of all the spices as I like a lot of flavor and it worked. Have fun and enjoy. This is a delicious cake with a wonderful warming flavor and sweet taste.
Cake
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 – 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
- Buttercream
5 sticks butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
5oz white chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350. Butter or with baking spray grease 2 9×2 inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flours, with baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter with sugar at medium speed until fluffy about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
- In 3 alternating additions, add the dry ingredients and sour cream. Scrape down the sides in between additions.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, until cake is golden and springy and edges pull away from pan. Remove cakes from oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. At low speed, beat in the sifted sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping sides down, about 2 more minutes. At low speed, beat in cream, vanilla, cinnamon, ancho chili powder and cayenne. then beat in melted, cooled chocolates. Scrape down sides of bowl, and increase speed to medium high and beat 3 more minutes.
- Place a layer on a serving plate and spread with 1 cup of frosting. Top with second layer and spread remaining frosting over the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes at least. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- *** If making cupcakes, use a standard muffin pan with your favorite muffin cups and fill about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 12-15 minutes. I sprinkle a little cinnamon/sugar on top before baking. I make the frosting and then pipe it on cooled cupcakes. The cinnamon/sugar mix adds another layer of flavor.
- ***For added decoration to the top of the cake, right after frosting, add chocolate and white chocolate shavings.
